Former baseball standout killed in crash on SR 125

He was identified on the Chico State University Facebook page as Christian Franco.

One person was killed Friday in a chain-reaction crash on state Route 125 at San Miguel Ranch Road.

BONITA  A Chula Vista man who was a former high school and college baseball standout was killed early Friday in a traffic collision on state Route 125 in Bonita.

He was identified on the Chico State University baseball team Facebook page as Christian “Chris” Franco.

“He was a loyal friend and teammate,” a post on the page said. “We send out heartfelt condolences to his family.”

According to Franco’s professional Facebook page, he had been working as a Realtor.

He played on the Sweetwater High School baseball team and was a 1996 graduate of the National City school, and was an all-Pacific Coast Conference player in 1997 at Southwestern College, according to the Chico Facebook post.

He attended Chico State from 1999 to 2000 and was an outfielder on the team that won the NCAA Division II World Series in 1999.

Franco was driving a Jaguar at high speed on north Route 125 about 1:45 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a curve north of San Miguel Ranch Road and his car hit a guardrail, the California Highway Patrol said. The car slammed into the center median, shearing off the left side of the car. Franco was ejected and died at the scene.

The car ended up in traffic lanes and caused a chain-reaction crash involving two Hondas and a Hummer, the CHP said. The woman driving the Hummer was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the CHP said.